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tamarahl

Will my kitchen win Contractor of the Year award (large kitchen)?

tamarahl
10 years ago

My kitchen is officially done today! My contractor asked me today if he could submit my kitchen to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) for their annual Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards. I said yes, since my contractor is a good guy AND I am very proud of how it all turned out. It will be in the large kitchen category, since my place is 17' x 28', not including the mudroom or sunroom, which are adjacent.

I advised him to get professional pictures taken, since they can make a space look amazing with just the lighting alone. But, I thought I would share with you guys how it looks, with just my iPhone camera. Thank you again, for all your support over the last 15 months.

Daytime shot:

Nighttime Shots:

Comments (35)

  • akl_vdb
    10 years ago

    Beautiful! Love the natural wood elements with some of the modern twists.

  • GauchoGordo1993
    10 years ago

    Very nice. Enjoy!

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago

    Beautiful!!!

  • juddgirl2
    10 years ago

    Your kitchen is beautiful - that would be amazing if it won!

    I noticed you have so many glass uppers with pretty display pieces. Do you keep your everyday plates, bowls and glasses in lower cabinets?

    Love your stone countertop. Is it Taj Mahal quartzite?

  • amykath
    10 years ago

    I think it is stunning. I adore your bubble chandy by the bar! So clever in your idea of placement!

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for all the compliments. I sweated over every detail and had a major fallout with my KD which led to our no longer speaking, so I take great pride in having my ideas work out.

    Juddgirl2, I do keep all my everyday plates, cups and bowls in my lower drawers in the big island (across from the dishwasher). I so prefer it to having to reach above my head. And yes, I used Taj Mahal AKA Mother of Pearl quartzite. I cannot say anything bad about it, beautiful and so functional!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    10 years ago

    Very nice!

  • YuliaO
    10 years ago

    Stunning kitchen! I can see from the pictures that you thought through every little detail! I love triangle niche by tv, very cozy!

    One quick questionâ¦what is this "thingy" by the kohler faucet? is it spray?

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    To the left of the faucet is a button for the disposal and next to that is the matching Kohler soap dispenser, and it is hooked up to a Never M-T under the sink.

  • lannegreene
    10 years ago

    What is the little joystick looking fixture to the right of the faucet?

  • azmom
    10 years ago

    What a fabulous kitchen, everything is so beautiful and well throught out, great job!

    I am so thrilled to see your photos, since we are planning for the kitchen remodel. The layout of the new kitchen is very similar to yours. The difference is where the pass through located in your kitchen is a window looking out to the back yard in ours.

    We are not sure if it is workable to place refrigerator/oven the way you do, but your kitchen proves the feasibility of the layout and design.

    May I ask what is the dimension of your island?and the distance between the island to the cooktop, as well as the island to the sink.

    We plan to rotate the orientation of our current island to that of yours for ease of loading dishes. Do you mind please to post a photo showing the side of island facing sink/dishwasher?

    Thank you in advance.

  • WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
    10 years ago

    Your kitchen is absolutely lovely. After viewing the pictures, I decided that I want the same kind of cabinet tops and the same kind of drawer and door hardware.

  • this_old_1969_ranch
    10 years ago

    I love your wood bar and your stools! Where did you get the beautiful stools? Congrats on your new kitchen!!!

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Azmom, happy to hear my kitchen layout is helpful to you. The aisles between the island and the perimeter L cabinetry is 42 inches from counter to counter, or 45 inches from cabinet base to cabinet base. The aisle between the oven/fridge wall and the big island is 62 inches. The big island is 95.5 inches by 51 inches. The drawers on that side of the island are 39 inches wide.

    All stools in the kitchen and Mudroom are from Overstock.com.

    Here are some photos of the drawers across from the dishwasher and clean up sink:

    2nd row of drawers:

    Bottom drawers:

    Drawers to the left of the dishwasher:

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Forgot to write that the joystick to the right of the Kohler Karbon faucet is the on/off switch.

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Forgot to write that the joystick to the right of the Kohler Karbon faucet is the on/off switch.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    I love your kitchen so much! I love your counters. Can you post the details of your kitchen? For instance the cabinet name and style, the white color (beautiful), the gorgeous counters (Taj Mahal AKA Mother of Pearl quartzite), the modern pretty hardware, the backsplash, the appliances, the beautiful floors (wood name and width, etc), and the bulbs used.... I am sure the kitchen will win Contractor of the Year since it is so nice!

  • juddgirl2
    10 years ago

    I thought I recognized my favorite quartzite - it's gorgeous! I have a sample of Taj Majal sitting on my counter now. Just need to decide between that and Calacatta, which I also love.

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Lynn2006, all the details of my project are in a November 1st post I wrote called "Photos of my almost done white and walnut kitchen/Mudroom remodel", just do a search for tl1969 in the search box and it will pop up.

    Happy to hear you love it!

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    Thank you tl1969! I love your kitchen and I am glad I was able to read up on it with your reveal!

  • beekeeperswife
    10 years ago

    T, that's exciting! Yes, professional photos are a must! Tell him if nothing else they will be worth so much to him for his website/portfolio.

    Congrats, good luck!

    bee

  • deedles
    10 years ago

    Ooo! And when you know the professional photog is coming, let us help you stage it like we did with Bee's kitchen. That was so fun.

    Your kitchen is gorgeous. Love the strong verticals with the pulls, lights and glass cabs in the first picture. Your lighting choices are perfect.

    What are those dividers in your drawers? And thanks for the interior drawer pics, my favorite thing.

    Can you please post how deep your bigger drawers are inside dimension?

    Love it. I hope you win. I wonder if these contests are just for looks or does anyone take function/layout into account? (which, you could win on both anyway)

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I would love to have your collective advice on staging my kitchen, if and when a pro photog is hired, as it would be awesome to see my home in its' full aesthetically pleasing state!

    Deedles, my large drawers' interiors are 8 1/4 inches high and 20 1/2 inches deep, from front to back.

    The dish pegs, which are officially called "Kitchenware and Plate Organizer Base Set in Birch," are by a very expensive German company, Hafele, that makes functional yet beautiful kitchen designs. I got my spice drawer inserts from them, too. Even though I got them through Direct Buy (so they were 50% off) I decided one set was enough. My other drawers do not seem to need them, as my items do not move when I open or close the drawers.

    Juddgirl2, good luck with your choice between the Taj Mahal and Calacatta. They are both beautiful. Just go with the one that makes your heart sing! I could not get the TM out of my head when I first saw it. I thought it looked ethereal and subtle, plus it tied together all the whites, browns, grays and caramels of my other kitchen items.

    Bee, I told the contractor how important professional photos are, like I was reading Maria Killam's blog on that topic verbatim! We shall see if he listens.

    (P.S. I listened to MK's advice on my living room, from my consult with her a few months back, and got a navy blue velvet sectional sofa, which arrived this week. It looks so much better than my old green and gray sofas. Wow!)

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I would love to have your collective advice on staging my kitchen, if and when a pro photog is hired, as it would be awesome to see my home in its' full aesthetically pleasing state!

    Deedles, my large drawers' interiors are 8 1/4 inches high and 20 1/2 inches deep, from front to back.

    The dish pegs, which are officially called "Kitchenware and Plate Organizer Base Set in Birch," are by a very expensive German company, Hafele, that makes functional yet beautiful kitchen designs. I got my spice drawer inserts from them, too. Even though I got them through Direct Buy (so they were 50% off) I decided one set was enough. My other drawers do not seem to need them, as my items do not move when I open or close the drawers.

    Juddgirl2, good luck with your choice between the Taj Mahal and Calacatta. They are both beautiful. Just go with the one that makes your heart sing! I could not get the TM out of my head when I first saw it. I thought it looked ethereal and subtle, plus it tied together all the whites, browns, grays and caramels of my other kitchen items.

    Bee, I told the contractor how important professional photos are, like I was reading Maria Killam's blog on that topic verbatim! We shall see if he listens.

    (P.S. I listened to MK's advice on my living room, from my consult with her a few months back, and got a navy blue velvet sectional sofa, which arrived this week. It looks so much better than my old green and gray sofas. Wow!)

  • azmom
    10 years ago

    Thank you so much for the photos, and the dimensions of island and aisles. They surely provided me the confirmation as well as the encouragement of making adjustments to our design.

    I checked your original reveal thread. What a story! Going through all the challenges, it is commendable that you stayed with your visions and goals. The ending result is what counts; you have a gorgeous and highly functional kitchen with many brilliant ideas.

    We started the remodeling more than a year ago. Kitchen was the first project. We too had difficult time dealing with kitchen cabinet stores and their kitchen designers. We decided to put the project on hold even at the expense of losing "design fee", and work on the bathrooms instead. We are on plan finishing the 3rd bathrooms. We plan to resume the kitchen remodeling in 2014.

    Thank you again for the inputs.

  • msrose
    10 years ago

    Since I have the same countertop and backsplash, I'd love to know what paint color you chose for the walls.

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It is BM Revere Pewter.

  • mrspete
    10 years ago

    Great kitchen!

    My favorite single element is the great light fixture above the table -- it's an unusual item and adds personality to the mix. Would you share your source?

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The 5 light chandelier with the suspended glass bubbles is the ET2 Lighting ET2-E22745-91PC 5-Light LED Pendant. If you look at my reveal, you will see some great shots of it illuminated at night. I saw it in a lighting showroom and was mesmerized.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    Tl good seeing your kitchen again. I start to drool each time I see it. I love your Viihara back splash. I really wanted it to work for my kitchen.
    Love seeing your drawer interiors. Don't you love having containers in your drawers! No more avalanches!!
    Is your dish drawer 39 or 42?
    I am still dealing with my too heavy 42 inch drawer so have an extra pegboard in the basement. I am hoping to use it again once the drawer is resolved.
    Can't wait to see if your GC wins! And to see the professional pictures.
    Thanks for sharing your exciting news.

  • tamarahl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi A2!
    My big drawers are 39.75 inches wide.

    The lack of avalanches when I take out a pan or a Tupperware-type container is just one of the major improvements in my life. Makes working in the kitchen so much less-stressful.

    Turns out the submission for the CotY awards is December 8, 2013; so, professional pictures are not happening. Bummer! I just hope my contractor got his act together in time, and makes the submission by the deadline, as it is he will have to pay a late submission fee.

  • feddup
    8 years ago

    I know this is old, but I just loved your reference to Tupperware avalanches. And I thought it was just me.


  • Buehl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    But you knocked someone off the first page who needs help NOW. Enjoy these types of threads personally, but please don't post to them!

    *sigh* I never thought I'd say it, but I'm starting the miss the days when this type of "bump" wouldn't affect the list of threads b/c the thread is so old. (This thread is almost 18 months old!)

  • feddup
    8 years ago

    I had no idea; was just trying to be nice. Wouldn't your reply perpetuate that (without trying to be nice)?